Dahlia plant named &#39;melody lizza&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Dahlia  plant named ‘Melody Lizza’, characterized by its pink-bicolor ray florets, yellow-colored disc florets and vigorous, upright and mounded growth habit.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprises a new and distinct Dahlia plant, botanically known as Dahlia hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Melody Lizza’.

The new cultivar originated as the product of the open pollination of the proprietary breeding selection designated VD-0-9, not patented, during 1997 at Lisse, The Netherlands. The new Dahlia was discovered and selected as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the above stated open pollination during the summer of 1998 at Lisse, The Netherlands.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal stem cuttings since 1998 at Lisse, Netherlands and West Chicago, Ill. has demonstrated that the new cultivar reproduces true to type, with all characteristics as herein described, firmly fixed and retained through successive generations of such asexual propagation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It was repeatedly found that the cultivar of the present invention:

1. Forms double pink-bicolor ray florets and yellow disk florets.

2. Exhibits a vigorous, upright, and mounded growth habit.

‘Melody Lizza’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions to date. Accordingly, it is possible that the phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in the environment such as temperature, light intensity, and day length without, however, any variance in genotype.

Plants of the new cultivar differ from plants of the female parent primarily in plant height and ray floret color.

Of the many Dahlia cultivars known to the inventor, ‘Melody Lizza’ can be compared to the cultivar ‘Melody Dixie’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,911) and the cultivar ‘Gallery Bellini’ (U.S. Pat. No. 14,162). However, in side by side comparisons, ‘Melody Lizza’ differs from ‘Melody Dixie’ in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of ‘Melody Lizza’ exhibit darker foliage color than do plants of ‘Melody Dixie’.

2. The flowers of ‘Melody Lizza’ are pink-bicolor whereas those of ‘Melody Dixie’ are cream-white in the center with lilac-purple margins.

3. The plant habit of ‘Melody Lizza’ is much more branching with shorter internodes than ‘Melody Dixie’ which has a more stretching habit.

Furthermore, in side by side comparisons ‘Melody Lizza’ differs from ‘Gallery Bellini’ in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of ‘Melody Lizza’ are more branching than plants of ‘Gallery Bellini’.

2. Plants of ‘Melody Lizza’ are taller than plants of ‘Gallery Bellini’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photographs show as nearly true as it is reasonably possible to make the same in color illustrations of this type, typical flower and foliage characteristics of the new cultivar. The plants were grown for 16 weeks in a greenhouse at West Chicago, Ill.

FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of the overall growth and flowering habit of ‘Melody Lizza’.

FIG. 2 illustrates a close-up view of a single flower ‘Melody Lizza’ just opening.

FIG. 3 illustrates a single fully open flower of ‘Melody Lizza’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The chart used in the identification of colors described herein is the R.H.S Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England, 1995 edition, except where color terms of ordinary significance are used. The color values were determined on May 21, 2003 in West Chicago, Ill. The readings were taken between 10:00 and 11:45 a.m. under natural light conditions. The plants were produced from cuttings taken from stock plants and were grown in a double polycarbonate-covered greenhouse under conditions comparable to those used in commercial practice. The plants were grown in 15 cm pots for 16 weeks while utilizing a soilless growth medium. Greenhouse temperatures were maintained at approximately 65°-70° F. (18°-21° C.) during the day and approximately 60°-65° F. (15°-18° C.) during the night. Greenhouse light levels were maintained at approximately 4,00-7,000 footcandles during the day. Plants were pinched three weeks after planting of rooted cuttings. The following measurements and descriptions were taken at 16 weeks after planting of rooted cuttings.

-   Botanical classification: Dahlia hybrida cultivar ‘Melody Lizza’. -   Parentage: Open pollination of the proprietary Dahlia breeding     selection designated VD-0-9. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal tip.         -   Time to initiate roots.—Approximately 7 to 10 days.         -   Time to develop roots.—Approximately 21 to 28 days.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous.         -   Tubers.—Will form under short day conditions of at least 13             to 14 hours of darkness. -   Plant description:     -   -   General appearance and habit.—Upright, mounded and vigorous.         -   Crop time.—Approximately 65-70 days to first flower.         -   Size.—Height from top of soil to top of plant plane:             Approximately 49.3 cm. Width: Approximately 44.2 cm.         -   Branching habit.—Basal branching, pinching enhances             branching.         -   Branch description.—Strength: Strong. Quantity per plant:             Approximately 4. Length: Approximately 30.8 cm. Diameter:             Approximately 7.7 mm. Color: 143B with overlay of 183A.             Texture: Glabrous. Length of 4^(th) internode: Approximately             6.1 cm.         -   Foliage.—Form: Both simple and compound. Quantity of leaves             per lateral branch: Approximately 18. Quantity of leaflets             per leaf: 3 or 5. Leaf/leaflet: Shape: Ovate. Margin:             Serrate. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Attenuate. Arrangement:             Opposite. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Texture: Upper surface:             Hispidulous, slightly rugose. Size of simple leaves: Length:             Approximately 8 cm. Width: Approximately: 3 cm. Petiole             length: Approximately 4 cm. Diameter: Approximately 3 mm.             Size of mature trifoliate leaves: Length: Approximately             12.4 cm. Width: Approximately 11.2 cm. Petiole of compound             leaf: Length: 5.2 cm. Diameter: 4 mm. Color: 144A with             overlay of 184A. Size of terminal leaflets: Length:             Approximately 8.4 cm. Width: Approximately 4.4 cm. Size of             lateral leaflets: Length: Approximately 6.4 cm. Width:             Approximately 2.9 cm. Color of young foliage: Upper surface:             137A with venation of 146C. Lower surface: 191A with             venation of 146B. Color of mature foliage: Upper surface:             Darker than 147A with veins of 147B. Lower surface: Closest             to 191A with veins of 146B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Outdoor flowering habit.—‘Melody Lizza’ is freely flowering             under outdoor growing conditions with substantially             continuous blooming from spring through fall.         -   Appearance.—Fully double, arising from leaf axils on strong             peduncles, positioned just over the foliage. Quantity per             plant: Approximately 3 inflorescences open at any one time.             Disc and ray florets arranged acropetally on a capitulum.             Persistent.         -   Lastingness of bloom.—Approximately 4 weeks from first open             ray floret to senescence.         -   Flower bud.—Rate of opening: Approximately 2 weeks from             first color to full bloom. Shape: Oblate. Bud just before             color: Length: Approximately 1.8 cm. Width: Approximately             1.3 cm. Color: 151A. Bud at first color: Length:             Approximately 2.1 cm. Diameter at first color: Approximately             1.7 cm. Color: N74A.         -   Shape/size.—Hemispherical. Diameter: Approximately 11.7 cm.             Depth: Approximately 7 cm. Disc diameter: Approximately             1.3 cm. Receptacle diameter: Approximately 2 cm. Receptacle             height/depth: Approximately 5 mm. Receptacle texture: Rough.         -   Fragrance.—None.         -   Ray florets.—Quantity: Approximately 311 per inflorescence             arranged in approximately 11 whorls. Shape: Elongated,             cupped. Length: Approximately 5 cm. Width: Approximately             1.7 cm. Apex: Obtuse to emarginate with two or three tips.             Base: Fused to form tube. Margin: Entire. Texture: Glabrous.             Color: Fully opened, upper surface: Mixture of longitudinal             areas of alternating and blending of 73C and 67C with             venation of 155D, margin of 67A and base of N155B. Fully             opened, lower surface: 73C with venation of 155D, margin of             67A and base of N155B.         -   Disc florets.—Disc florets develop after most of the ray             florets have died. Quantity: Approximately 30. Shape:             Elongated, cylindrical. Texture: Glabrous. Color:             Transparent, 9A at apex, 150D at base.         -   Peduncle.—Strong, erect. Length: Approximately 12 cm.             Diameter: Approximately 3 mm. Texture: Glabrous. Color:             144B.         -   Outer involucral bracts.—Quantity: Approximately 8. Shape:             Lanceolate. Tip: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture: Glabrous.             Color of upper and lower surfaces: 146A with parallel             venation of 150A.         -   Inner involucral bracts.—Quantity: One per floret. Shape:             Lanceolate. Margin: Entire. Apex: Acute. Length: 1.3 cm.             Width: 4 mm. Color: Transparent, 150C at apex, 150D at base.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium — On disc florets. Stamen             number: 4. Anther length: Approximately 3.5 mm. Anther             color: 9A. Pollen amount: Abundant. Pollen color is 21A.             Gynoecium — On disc and ray florets. Pistil length:             Approximately 1.3 cm. Stigma length: 4 mm. Stigma color: 9A.             Style length: 6 mm. Style color: 150D. Ovary length: 2 mm.             Ovary color: 145B. -   Seed and fruit production: Neither seed nor fruit production has     been observed. -   Disease and pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests     common to Dahlia has not been observed. -   Hardiness zone: ‘Melody Lizza’ is presumably hardy in zones nine (9)     and above. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Dahlia plant named ‘Melody Lizza’ substantially, as herein shown and described, which:
 1. Forms double, pink bi-colored ray florets and yellow-colored disc florets.
 2. Exhibits a vigorous, upright, and mounded growth habit. 